Conservation Projects, Measures & Policies: Question 4

Conservation Projects Integrating Traditional Knowledge and Practices
This report identifies examples of conservation initiatives in Brazil that have incorporated traditional knowledge, languages, ways of life, and local practices in their design and implementation. It highlights how these resources have positively influenced project outcomes, as well as the challenges observed.
1. Mangues da Amazônia Project
Developed by civil society organizations in northern Brazil, this project promotes the restoration of Amazonian mangroves through community participation and cultural identity. It integrates traditional fishing and shellfish-collecting knowledge with ecological education. Local women, known as “Mothers of the Mangroves,” lead reforestation and sustainable collection activities while transmitting knowledge about tidal cycles and crab reproduction.
Positive impact: increased mangrove restoration, community empowerment, and youth environmental education.
Challenges: balancing traditional harvesting with market pressures for crab and shrimp.
2. Águas do Tapajós – OMEC Initiative
This community-based project supports riverine populations along the Tapajós River through “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures” (OMECs). It values local ecological knowledge about fish breeding, flood cycles, and seasonal river dynamics, expressed through traditional languages and oral narratives.
Positive impact: recognition of local management systems strengthened community governance and reduced illegal fishing.
Challenges: limited state recognition and insufficient technical support for monitoring.
3. Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve and the Inclusive Bioeconomy Program (Embrapa)
The reserve, created through the struggles of rubber tappers led by Chico Mendes, remains a model of community-based forest management. Current Embrapa projects integrate local practices for latex extraction and forest management with research on inclusive bioeconomy, combining scientific and traditional knowledge to create sustainable income sources.
Positive impact: preservation of the Amazon forest, social organization of extractive communities, and reduced deforestation rates.
Challenges: dependence on fluctuating markets for natural rubber and limited funding for infrastructure.
4. Kalunga Quilombo – Guardians of the Cerrado
Located in Goiás, the Kalunga Quilombo community preserves over 83 % of native Cerrado vegetation through traditional rotational agriculture, collective land management, and sacred practices tied to springs and hills.
Positive impact: biodiversity preservation and the protection of cultural heritage recognized by Brazil’s National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN).
Challenges: threats from agricultural expansion and lack of technical assistance for sustainable tourism.
5. Rede de Sementes do Xingu (Xingu Seeds Network)
This network links Indigenous peoples, rural settlers, and NGOs in collecting and selling native seeds for large-scale forest restoration. Communities such as the Yudjá and Kayapó apply traditional ecological knowledge of species and soil cycles to seed collection.
Results: over 620 seed collectors, BRL 1.5 million in income generated, and 500 hectares restored between 2020 and 2024.
Challenges: variable demand for seeds and logistical difficulties in reaching remote areas.
6. Projeto Tamar (Sea Turtle Conservation Program)
Active since 1980, TAMAR integrates scientific research with the participation of coastal fishing communities. Former turtle hunters became conservation agents and environmental educators. Traditional maritime knowledge—currents, moon phases, and nesting sites—has been crucial for monitoring and protecting five sea-turtle species.
Positive impact: recovery of sea-turtle populations, local employment, and cultural revitalization through community-based ecotourism and art.
Challenges: balancing tourism growth with species protection and ensuring long-term funding.

Conclusion
Across these experiences, the integration of traditional knowledge, languages, and practices has proven essential to the success of conservation initiatives. Projects that respect and include local voices tend to produce more lasting social and environmental results. However, they require continuous institutional support, fair benefit-sharing, and cultural recognition to ensure sustainability and equity in biodiversity conservation.